This Docker Compose configuration sets up NextExplorer with Tailscale as a sidecar container to securely manage file system over a private Tailscale network. By using Tailscale in a sidecar configuration, you can enhance the security and privacy of your Next Explorer instance, ensuring that it is only accessible within your Tailscale network.

NextExplorer is a modern, self-hosted file explorer designed for teams, creative agencies, and homelabs that need both a polished user interface and fine-grained access control. It ships as a single Docker container, mounts any number of volumes, and pairs seamlessly with reverse proxies or zero-trust networks. Whether you're organizing project assets for a small studio or providing secure file access across a household, NextExplorer delivers a responsive, feature-rich experience out of the box. This configuration leverages Tailscale to securely connect to your NextExplorer instance, protecting your file management interface from unauthorized access.

In this setup, the tailscale service runs Tailscale, which manages secure networking for NextExplorer. The application service uses Docker's network_mode: service:tailscale configuration. This keeps the management interface on your Tailnet unless you enable the optional host port mapping.

Set ACCESS_PATH in .env to an absolute host directory before starting the stack. NextExplorer mounts that directory at /mnt/Files. Replace the sample SESSION_SECRET and PUBLIC_URL values with deployment-specific values when those settings are used.